Three new alkyl glycosides with similar molecular structures (oleyl and oleoyl alkyl chains and various head groups: disaccharide, trisaccharide and disaccharide with an additional amidoethoxy spacer) were synthesized and their supramolecular structure in aqueous solution was investigated. Small angle neutron scattering, surface tension measurement and the contact preparation method were applied to get molecular structure-property relationships. Although the chemical structures differ only in small details, their CMC values, lyotropic phase behaviour, surface area per surfactant molecule in the micelle and at the liquid-air interface, and the size and shape of the micelles are very different. We have found three different types of aggregates: spherical, cylindrical and polymer-like micelles in dilute solutions. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.